Former Social Democratic Minister Nuno Morais Sarmento called this Saturday, in an intervention that earned an ovation at the 41st Congress of the PSD, for the creation of “a common ground” with the Liberal Initiative, the CDS and “whatever the results of the elections will be.” in PS”, to add an “élan” to Luís Montenegro in the race for victory in the parliamentary elections on March 10, 2024.
Morais Sarmento regretted that it was not possible to form a pre-electoral coalition, but stressed that he does not see that “there is any obstacle” to it being possible, even before the parliamentary elections, “on this basis of understanding a diversity of opinions allowing voters to strengthen the belief that a non-socialist majority in Portugal is possible.”
For the former minister of the Durão Barroso and Pedro Santana Lopes governments, it is enough that parties that do not intend to reach an agreement with the PS, Bloco de Esquerda and PCP say that “they will be ready to find common ways with us find.” and the remaining forces of the democratic right”.
“Just like Durão Barroso is the man who would never be prime minister, and he was; just as Carlos Moedas is the man who would never become President of the Lisbon Chamber, and he is; Luís Montenegro is the man who would never become prime minister. minister, and will be the winner, he and the PSD, in the next parliamentary elections,” said the former governor, who started the intervention by offering to call on the Social Democratic leader to offer him a pin that Francisco Sá Carneiro used in his speech that the first victory and that an A-party member asked him to hand it over to Montenegro to serve as a talisman for victory in the legislature.
Morais Sarmento urged the PSD not to divert its attention from the parliamentary elections between now and March 10, and to keep in mind that “our opponent is the PS.” This is because, predicted the former leader, who suffered from serious health problems, “a lot will happen” in the internal struggle in the PS, in the ongoing legal process and in the relationship between the President of the Republic and the government.
Morais Sarmento is very critical of António Costa because he “talks about a criminal case that does not exist and the possibility of being identified as a suspect that is not on the table”, complaining that “the companions of the route demand that the investigation into António Costa ends before the elections”, in which the outgoing Prime Minister was acquitted and the legal proceedings involving his chief of staff, his best friend and several ministers were “obliterated”. “In a step forward, António Costa did not hesitate to question the functioning of the fundamental institutions of our system,” he charged.
Regarding Pedro Nuno Santos, Morais Sarmento emphasized that “one thing is by necessity and the other is by choice,” with potential governing partners who “continue to deny the European Union, defend its withdrawal from NATO and support Russia in the war in Syria”. Ukraine”.
Shortly afterwards, José Luís Arnaut, another former Social Democratic minister, took the stage with a video showing the support of European People’s Party leaders for Luís Montenegro, and warning about the PS campaign and money laundering machine. elections on March 10 are that the PSD wins the elections and that there are “at least 116 deputies to the right of the PS”.
Source: DN
